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Deputies in Florida confirm man killed wife and kids, then self in home of former tennis star

Fire Former Tennis Star

The aftermath of a fire at a home owned by former tennis player James Blake is shown. Darrin Campbell and his wife were leasing the home, and police say he shot his wife and kids, set the house ablaze and then shot himself.
(Associated Press)

Hillsborough County Sheriff's Col. Donna Lusczynski said at a news conference Friday that Darrin Campbell had purchased fireworks, gas cans and gasoline in the days before the family was killed.

Campbell shot his wife, Kimberly; 19-year-old son, Colin; and teenage daughter, Megan, each in the head with a.40-caliber handgun he bought last year before setting the house on fire and shooting himself in the head.

"This is certainly disturbing," Lusczynski said.

Investigators are still working to determine what drove Darrin Campbell to kill his family.

Lusczynski said the sheriff's office had not been investigating Campbell before the killings and did not know of any other agencies that may have been investigating him. Campbell had no criminal record before his death.

Investigators are looking into the family's finances and going through records found in the home, Lusczynski said.

James Blake plays a match against Ivo Karlovic, of Croatia, at the U.S. Open tennis tournament in New York in 2013.Associated Press/2013

The Campbells had been renting the 6,000-square-foot home from James Blake, a former professional tennis player. The million-dollar home was located in Avila, a gated community known for its resident sports stars and CEOs. Located on one of Tampa's most exclusive streets, in one of its most secure, tony neighborhoods, the five-bedroom, five-bath home had a pool and spa, and was graced by tall palm trees.

Campbell had been an executive for several high-profile businesses, including a stint at PODS, the mobile storage company. He was most recently working at a records management firm and volunteering as treasurer at his children's private school. His wife, Kimberly, was a stay-at-home mom, according to her father, Gordon Lambie.